....little notes and commentaries from a pink house on the top of a tanzanian hill....

Friday, May 14, 2010

let's.

i want to write funny but circumstances demand that i don't.

a friend of mine just died of cerebral malaria. these things shouldn't happen these days.

the thing is that last saturday i saw her, at rugby, stoically sipping some rose wine, which she couldn't finish, recently arrived from lake tanganyika, burning with fever. i told her to take malaria dawa (medicine) but she said oh no, it's not malaria, tests are negative. i've taken anti biotics, i'll be fine. i'll be fine. a week later she's gone. just like that. fresh and only 30.

cerebral malaria. blackwater fever.

little nantus, who is nine, the nephew of my friend, looked at me with his freckled nose and sky blue eyes and said, " i thought it was a dream. but it's just life, hey?"

i was stopped by a policeman yesterday and he asked, where are you going? i said to see my friend whose sister just died of malaria and she was only 30. and he said, oh pole sana. they caught it too late, eh? yeah, i said, too late. just too late.

so not too many words today. not too many words. p'raps a poem sent by t:

What awful news - cerebral malaria is a horrible thing... my father had it a couple of years ago. Thankfully the only thing that suffered was his hearing (due to the vast amounts of quinine they had to pump in to him)

i have no words for your sorrow.......i think your picture describes sadness well enough. just as i began to worry agian about not fitting into the mold around me , i found your blog ~ i miss the tragic beauty of tanzania.......p

So you and me both lost a friend in their 30's this week. So, so so sad. I'm so sorry... and in her case could maybe have been avoided which is even worse. Thinking it might be time for me to come and see you so that we can drink and smoke ourselves stupid. What year are you born btw - I'm on a Chinese astrology thing at the moment and want to know if you're a Dragon Lxx

our side of africa too..he was just 7, a blond haired poppett..not unlike our own kids at that age..Dr's didn't pick it up..I cried for him, although I hadn't seen him very much..and hugged my kids a little tighter when they went to bed....love from senegal XXX